Redemption's Flame
by KievaLynn
Summary: A new sequel to my season three! What will Miranda do when Phobos and Cedric escape prison? And what happens when her boyfriend Gideon gets curious about where she's from?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead, living dead, or un-dead is, like, totally on purpose.

Author's Note One: This is a sequel to Kieva Lynn's Season Three, and takes place after that story. For those who have not read it, you at least need to know that as a consequence of events in that story, a reformed Miranda is on probation in Heatherfield, where she lives with Cassidy. The terms of her probation forbid shapeshifting except in life or death situations. Through a portion of Elyon's Heart of Meridian power, Miranda serves as the Guardian of Hope, alongside Cassidy as the Guardian of Empathy and Alchemy as the Guardian of Faith…

Author's Note Two: I've updated my profile with thoughts and musings about possible future projects. Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Redemption's Flame, Chapter One

"'In Hell', you said we'd meet again Blackguard. T'would seem then 'tis perdition's fire that burns around us…"

Miranda soared high in the air, enjoying the clear sky, the hot, bright sun, and the glorious view of the land far below. Her Guardian mode's ability to fly in human form (well, except for the wings) had taken some getting used to for a shapeshifter accustomed to only being able to fly as a bird or insect. It still seemed a little odd, really. No matter though, it was worth it to be able to enjoy the views of Meridian from on high, and to feel the wind in her hair, which for some reason grew into an ankle-length braid whenever she was powered up as a Guardian.

As she flew, her mind turned to thoughts of just how lucky she was. Miranda knew, of course, that she had made a huge mess of her life until recently, and though this was at least partially the result of having been raised by Phobos and Cedric, she knew she couldn't fob off all of the blame for her crimes. She had made the choice to follow them herself. "Thank God I ran into Martin and Alchemy on that last jailbreak." She thought to herself, "Otherwise, I'd probably be right back in my cell right now."

Miranda wasn't sure how long she spent in memories, only that after a time she became aware of something happening. She was flying over the outskirts of a town, and when she looked down she saw some kind of altercation, two men in a full-on knock down drag out fistfight. "I'd better see what this is about." She thought, and so she folded her wings and slowly descended, landing in between them when they had briefly separated to catch their breaths. "Okay, okay, break it up!" Miranda exclaimed. She looked back and forth between them. "What's this about anyway?" she asked.

Both of the Meridianites stared at her, undisguised anger filling their eyes. "It's about the likes of you now." The larger of the two grumbled.

"Yes." The first man's former opponent agreed. "You think you can act so big and important just because the Queen forgives you for your sins against our people. Well, we don't forget or forgive."

Miranda was taken aback, though she supposed this was inevitable. "Please, hear me out at least." She said to them. "I know what I did was wrong. And I'm truly sorry. Look, here, now, what can I do to at least make some of it right?"

As she was speaking, other townspeople had appeared and now surrounded her. They shouted curses and obscenities at the girl, refusing to accept her offer of recompense. Fearing a bit for her safety now, she decided to fly up a little, just far enough to be out of attack range. But when she tried to do so, Miranda found that somehow she had reverted to her normal human form.

"No problem," she thought as the townspeople drew closer, some now brandishing weapons, "I can change back." Miranda spread her arms wide, and said the words: "Guardian, unite!" Nothing happened. She tried to use her power to create a shield around herself, but there was no power there.

Then, from behind, the girl heard a voice saying "How does it feel? You're getting what's coming to you, and nothing can prevent it." Miranda spun around and saw a small group moving closer than the rest of the townsfolk. They were a terrible sight, dressed in tattered rags, with decaying bodies. Miranda realized these new arrivals were dead, undead. She asked who they were, and what they wanted with her. "Tsk, tsk… You don't even remember us do you?" the youngest of the revenants said. "We're your victims. The ones who died by your hand during Prince Phobos' reign."

"That's impossible!" Miranda exclaimed. "I know I hurt a lot of people, some of them really badly, but I NEVER actually killed anyone!"

"No? What about the aftermath? Those you put in jail who never survived to see the light of day again? Those whose injuries became infected? The broken family members who couldn't go on without their loved ones?"

"I…" Miranda didn't know what to say. How had this never occurred to her? As the dead drew closer, though Miranda said "I AM sorry for everything I did. And I'm going to spend my life making it right, as much as I can anyway. But I'm not just standing here and giving up my own life."

Deciding this qualified as 'life or death', Miranda started to transform into a bird, planning to fly away. But as she began to change, she realized something was wrong. She wasn't turning into a bird but, rather, the spider form she had so often fought in while working for Phobos. Miranda tried to stop, but couldn't prevent the change, or the fact that once completely transformed her body began acting against her will, attacking the people around her.

As townsfolk fell all around her, Miranda heard, from somewhere, the voices of Elyon and the other Guardians. They were singing, an earth song Miranda recognized from the repertoire of her boyfriend Gideon's band: "Ain't it funny how your new life didn't change things, You're still the same old girl you used to be…"

"Nooo!" Miranda bolted upright in her own bed, barely choking back the scream. She sat for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to calm herself. When she at last had control of her breathing, the girl held both hands up, palms towards her face. She focused on the power she had as one of Elyon's appointed Meridian Guardians, and saw the familiar warm blue light of her power, the light of hope, flicker around her hands. Breathing a sigh of relief, she released the power and flopped back onto her pillows…

WWWWWWWWW

Cassidy arose early, as she always did. Before it was even six in the morning, she was showered and dressed for work. Striding into the kitchen of her small apartment, she was shocked to find Miranda already up too. "Whoa. I thought I was the early bird around here." Cassidy teased, 'Normally I have to drag you awake."

Yawning deeply, Miranda answered "Woke up a couple hours ago, couldn't get back to sleep."

Through her new power as the Guardian of Empathy, Cassidy could sense her young charge's emotional distress. She took a guess at the cause: "Bad dream?"

"To put it mildly."

"Talking about these things usually helps." Cassidy said as she sat across from Miranda. "C'mon, tell me about it."

Miranda answered "I'd… Rather not. I'll be fine, it was just a dream after all."

"You can't be sure of that." Cassidy warned, "You're a Guardian now Miranda. Sometimes, our dreams can have real meaning. Like, they can be prophetic, or-"

Before Cassidy could finish, Miranda cut her off. "No! No. I'm not the same…" She buried her head in her hands. "There's no way that was prophetic. I refuse it."

Compassion filling her eyes, Cassidy reached across the table, put a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "That bad huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, a dream doesn't have to be prophetic to still have meaning though. It could still have been symbolic in some way. A warning of something bad, a clue to something you need to do…"

"That's a little more palatable." Miranda replied. "Though I still hope it was just a dream."

"Sure you won't talk about it?"

"Maybe tonight. I need to think on it for awhile first. Actually, since Elyon's gotta go to Meridian after school today, I'm gonna see if she can take me along. I've got a place I used to go when I needed to think."

"Alright." Cassidy answered. "I better get to work. See you tonight."

As Cassidy turned to leave, Miranda said "Hey Cass?" Cassidy turned back. "Thanks." Miranda grinned.

"Anytime kiddo."

WWWWWWWWW

Sheffield Institute. Arriving early to look for Elyon, Miranda instead found Gideon. "Hey beautiful," he said "What are you doing here so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She answered as they took each other's hands.

"Nickelbocker called me in." Gideon said. "She wants to see me about something involving the band, though I can't imagine she's wanting us to play with the gym still in ruins from what happened with Uriah and his friends."

"It's a good thing next week is the last for this school year." Miranda said. "I understand they'll be able to rebuild before next year starts."

"Yeah. Three months of summer, we get to rest, some poor saps get to rebuild the place. Better them than us. But… Speaking of summer, you're not going to have to go back home when school lets out are you?"

"Nah. I'm here with Cass pretty much for good."

"Good." Gideon said. When they turned the next corner into the administration hall, the Principal was already there waiting for Gideon.

"Thank you for coming so early." Nickelbocker said as she ushered them both into her office, "I know how important sleeping in as late as possible is to most of you kids."

"It's no big deal. My dad won't usually let me sleep any later than this anyway." Gideon replied. "So, what's up?"

Nickelbocker sighed as she sat back in her chair. "The long and short of it is, that the school has a problem. Our insurance carrier is only willing to partially repay the damage to the gymnasium. They'll pay for the roof itself, but not any of the other damage which is also quite expensive. I spoke with the board, and we are in agreement that some kind of summer fundraiser will be needed to acquire the funds that are needed."

"Ahh, I see now. You're looking for a band to play during a part of it."

"Exactly. In truth, we hope to get as many students as possible involved, but frankly music is likely to be the biggest draw in the community. "

"That makes sense." Gideon said. "I'll have to check with Joel and the others, but I'm sure they'll be game. Just tell us when."

Nickelbocker smiled briefly. "Thank you young man. I'll inform you as soon as a definite date is set."

As they rose to leave, Miranda asked "So how much money does the school need to cover everything?"

"Around fifty thousand, I'm afraid." The principal answered. Miranda noticed Gideon's mouth was hanging open after hearing that number. She made a mental note to ask one of the other Guardians just how much that was. As the teens turned to leave, Nickelbocker said "Miranda, might you stay for a moment?"

After Gideon was gone, Miranda sat back in the seat she had previously used. Nickelbocker also returned to her own seat. "I hope you'll forgive me, because I don't mean to pry. But I'm curious… Have you told him?"

"Not yet." Miranda answered. "I want to. But I'm not sure of the best way to do it."

"Have you perhaps discussed it with your friends?"

"Yeah. I know Tara, Elyon and Hay Lin are planning to tell those guys the truth this summer. They're planning some kind of hiking trip, you know, get out in the wilderness away from everyone else, tell them then. I'm invited, actually, but…"

"Yes?"

Miranda sighed. "I'm not sure just how much you've been told, about me in particular, but it's a little more complicated in my case than for the other girls. See, all they've got to reveal is the Guardian thing itself. Which is big enough. Whereas I've got that, _and_ the fact that I'm really… well, not quite actually human."

Nodding, Nickelbocker answered "Yes, Yan Lin said something about that to me, though I'm not sure I really followed all of the details. All I can really suggest is that if things are to last, he would have to know eventually. And if it's too much for him to take, wouldn't it be better to find out sooner rather than later?"

"I guess so." Miranda sat silently for a few moments, then said "If there's nothing else, I need to go find El. I've got a favor to ask her before school starts."

"Go ahead child. But think about what I've said."

"I will."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Two

As it turned out, Friday was a busy morning and Miranda didn't actually see Elyon until lunchtime. Even then, she couldn't discuss her request out loud, what with four oblivious boyfriends, her own included, sharing the table. Fortunately, it dawned on her that she didn't really need to discuss things out loud. "Elyon, I've got a question." She thought into Taranee's mental link, "You're going back to the palace this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah." The Queen answered, "Yet another Hoognon land-dispute to settle. I swear, I'm starting to think those birds are more trouble than they're worth."

"Remember a pair of them saved Caleb and Aldarn's butts back when all this started." Cornelia interjected into the link, "We owe the big ugly featherballs for that at least."

"I suppose." Elyon replied. "Back to the point though, did you need to come along Miranda?"

"If you don't mind. I've got somewhere to be, but I should be done and ready before you're ready to come back, and Cass already knows where I'll be."

Before Elyon could reply, she became aware of a hand being waved in front of her face. She focused and saw that it was Joel. "Earth to Elyon!" he was saying. "You were zoned out there for a minute.

"So was Miranda." Gideon said, looking at her oddly. "Are you okay?"

Miranda answered "I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

"Me too," Elyon added. "So, is it true that Nickelbocker asked you guys to play at some kind of school benefit?"

"Yeah." Joel answered. "I think she's asking Matt and company to be there too."

Matt said "She is. Actually, she said they want all the students to find ways to help out. I guess it's, like, a LOT of money they're coming up short on."

"Fifty thousand dollars." Miranda said. She looked around as the table fell silent. Everyone was looking at her. "I'm still not too good with American money… Is that a lot?"

"I'll say it's a lot!" Irma answered, "It'd take my dad, like, a year and a half to earn that much."

Hay Lin added "Yeah. Once you take out taxes and operating expenses and stuff, even the Dragon doesn't do much better than that in a year."

"Wow." Miranda said. "No wonder she's worried."

Into the Guardian's mind-link Elyon said "I've thought about donating some gold from the palace treasury. It's actually not much, compared to what's stored up in there. Problem is, how would I explain where it came from?"

"That's a puzzle alright." Taranee agreed.

Out loud, Hay Lin said "I suppose I could donate some paintings, we could have an auction or something."

"Good thinking" Eric said. "And I'll try to talk my folks into raffling off some observatory passes. I doubt it'll go over as well as the paintings, but it's worth a shot."

"Get with me on what painting you're gonna donate." Elyon said to Hay Lin, "I'll add a couple too, something different than yours."

WWWWWWWWW

Shortly after the end of the day's last period classes, Miranda was on her way to Elyon's home when she heard the sound of feet running up behind her. "Hey!" Gideon said as he fell into place beside her, "You busy? I was thinking maybe we could go check out that new Star Quest film. Opening day, that's always fun with these kinds of movies."

"I'd like to. But I've already got plans with El. Can't keep her waiting."

"Gotcha. Though, y'know, between her and the rest of the girls you disappear a lot. Is something wrong, or is there anything I could help you with?"

"Sorry. It's kind of personal. I'll tell you all about it someday, but it's just not time yet."

"I can wait. So, do you think you'll be available tomorrow sometime?" Gideon asked.

"Probably." Miranda answered. "Call me, we'll have lunch, maybe spend an afternoon at the park."

"Sounds good." Gideon said. "See you tomorrow then." He turned and strolled off in the other direction.

A few minutes more bought Miranda to Elyon's home, where she found not only the Queen, but also Matt and Martin. "Caleb's agreed to give me some fighting lessons," Martin said, "But Matt thinks I should practice a little with him first."

"It's for the best. I'll go WAY easier on you than he will, and you'll appreciate that at first." Matt replied. "I speak from painful personal experience."

Changing into her royal robes with a snap of her fingers, Elyon said to Martin "Are you _sure _Irma's okay with this?"

"Oh yeah, as far as it goes. It's not like I'm gonna be training to get good enough to fight alongside the rest of you or anything. I mean, it's me, I doubt I could ever get that good. I just wanna be able to defend myself or someone around me if I have to." Martin answered.

Matt added "What we're gonna have to worry about is Tara and Hay Lin's feelings on the matter when they tell Nigel and Eric about all this. Or the two of you with Joel and Gideon. I mean, you have to know they're gonna want to be a part of it just like I did. How do you think you'll be able to take it?"

"I'm trying _not_ to think about it." Elyon admitted. "But you're right. Summer's almost here, things are coming up fast."

"Makes you feel like Al's the lucky one, not having a boyfriend." Miranda said.

"Yet." Martin amended. "Give her time. Really, she looks like the lucky one to you now, but down the road you'll all have this out of the way when she has to deal with it."

"This is true." Matt agreed. "My advice is to just let happen what happens."

Elyon opened a fold. "Alright," she said, "Backyard's all yours guys. Have fun." Elyon and Miranda stepped through the fold which closed behind them.

"Alright my man," Matt said as he turned and slapped Martin on the back, "Let's start with a little exercise I like to call 'Dodgeball of Doom.'"

Martin swallowed hard. "Joy."

WWWWWWWWW

Meridian. After saying goodbye to Elyon, Miranda first visited her old Palace rooms and changed into clothing more appropriate to her stay here. She stepped out onto the balcony and considered transforming into her Guardian form and flying to her destination. Memories of the previous night's dream quashed that notion. At least she didn't have all that far to go. She decided to walk.

Exiting the Palace through the main gates, Miranda crossed the processional bridge leading into town and skirted through the settlement's outskirts, avoiding the most heavily travelled roads. Not that she was likely to be recognized, with a scarf covering the lower half of her face, but why take the chance of being slowed down? It was these thoughts that caused the girl to realize just how strongly the nightmare had affected her. She was, it now dawned on her, avoiding the townspeople out of fear that being recognized might lead to parts of the dream actually happening. "This is stupid of you." Miranda thought to herself. "It was just a dream, after all." But a small part of her mind answered back "Unless Cassidy was right."

Continuing on her way, Miranda made it out of town without being recognized and travelled a few miles to the south, passing just west of the Torus Filney region, until she came to her destination. Before the girl stood a small lake, perhaps a mile across. The waters were still and clear, and the forests that surrounded it grew right up to the shoreline in most places. Beyond, framed by the bright sky, were high mountains.

Even in the days of Phobos, this place had somehow escaped the worst of the devastation. She had found it quite by accident on her way back from a mission for the Prince years earlier, and made it the place she went to when she needed to think on problems. This, though, was the first time Miranda had returned here since her last stay in prison. "It's even more beautiful than before." She thought. Satisfied that this would indeed make a good place to ruminate on the dream and seek it's meaning, she sat cross legged at the water's edge…

WWWWWWWWW

Back on Earth, Gideon sat in his bedroom, pencil in hand, trying to work on a new song. It wasn't going well. "Joel's the one who has a talent for this, not me." He thought, "But this is for Miranda, and I want to do it myself."

As he tried to think of how to put his feelings into words, Gideon found himself thinking about Miranda's occasionally odd behavior. He hadn't been kidding earlier, she really did have a tendency to disappear with Elyon and the other girls, even in the middle of dates. It bothered him that she didn't seem to trust him very far into her life. "I mean, I know she's from out of the country, some country called Meridian. And I know she's on probation for something she did wrong there." He thought, "Maybe she's afraid I won't feel the same way about her if I know exactly what it is she did. But, c'mon, how bad could it possibly have been? Especially since they let her come into this country for school. And, of course, if that's what it is then the girls must know about it…"

Curiosity peaked, Gideon turned from his songwriting and, opening his laptop's search engine, typed in 'Meridian.' The computer returned several thousand hits for the word, but it quickly became clear that they were all for mathematical terms and geographic references to the Prime Meridian. There was nothing about a country by such a name at all. "Odd." The boy thought. "Oh well, let's try refining the search…"

An hour later, having exhausted search possibilities for 'meridian nation', 'meridian kingdom', and 'meridian history', Gideon felt his curiosity beginning to grow into vague suspicion. Something was definitely off. He intended to find out what.

WWWWWWWWW

Queen Elyon sat in her throne, growing restless as she listened to the newest round of disputes between farmers. So far, the men had been talking back and forth for two hours, and she still hadn't figured out just what the source of contention was. They seemed to think it would be totally obvious to her.

"And so," the first farmer was saying, "It is clear that any sharing of the lands is not possible, due to our differential allegiances…"

"Who's on first…" Elyon thought to herself…

"Given quite different portions of the great spectrum, which…"

"What's on second…"

"Have nothing in common with each other and cannot even be mixed to create new…"

"I Don't Know's on third… …Ugh…" Unable to take anymore, the Queen stood and motioned for the man to stop. She walked down the steps to their level and looked up at them both. "Before we go any further, I need to confess something. You both seem to think that I understand the underlying problem that started this conflict. And if I had been raised here, I'm sure I would. But since I wasn't… Please, start at the beginning. The very first step. What is the real issue here?"

The men briefly looked at each other, then excused themselves. Moments later they returned, each bringing one of his side's birds with him. The first farmer had a bird with green feathers, and the second a bird with blue feathers.

"Green." The first said motioning to his bird.

"Blue." Added the second with a similar motion.

"Okay…" Elyon said, "So, you're afraid they'll interbreed and make hybrids?"

'No, birds of different feathers do not join with each other."

"Then you're afraid they'll fight?"

"Not at all O Queen, they are always peaceful to each other."

"Would that you two could learn from that." Elyon murmured under her breath. She asked, "So, then what's the big deal?"

"Green."

"Blue."

Elyon was moments from screaming when an idea came to her. A terrible idea. A wonderful, terrible idea. Grinning, she said to the men "I have a solution. For now, both of you go home. You'll see what I have in mind in the morning." Bowing, the farmers left, and once they were out the room she called Raythor to her side.

"How may I serve, your Highness?" he asked.

Elyon answered "Take as many men as you need, and go into town. Buy all of the red dye you can find. We're giving these birds a makeover."

Raythor laughed. "Nice. I like it. But, you realize your Majesty, that it's only temporary? The dye will wear off eventually."

"At which time we buy up all the purple dye. Or maybe orange. Either way, the message is bound to sink into their heads eventually."

"I hope so." Raythor agreed. "If you'll excuse me, I'll get started." With the Queen's leave, Raythor headed out to perform his orders, while Elyon herself slumped into the throne, exhausted.

WWWWWWWWW

Miranda spent several hours at the edge of the tranquil lake. By the end of that time she had managed to calm herself considerably, though she still hadn't come to any definite conclusions regarding the dream. By and large, three possibilities presented themselves. First, she thought, it might just be her conscience. She really had did a lot of damage during Prince Phobos' reign, and in thinking things to their logical conclusion she was forced to accept that which had not occurred to her before: Indirectly though it might be, blood was on her hands. The fact that she had never straight-out killed anyone didn't change that. Maybe some part of her mind had figured that out, and was trying to make the rest of her face up to it.

Second, she considered that the dream might have been, as Cassidy said, something more coming from her new Guardian powers. Maybe the dream was symbolizing something she needed to do to make up for some of her crimes, or prevent someone else from repeating them.

Finally, she reluctantly considered that maybe it was, in fact, prophetic. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened to a Guardian, after all. The trouble with that idea was her certainty of her own commitment to her new life. She really wasn't who she used to be. So what could this dream be predicting? A relapse? Miranda refused the possibility. Mind control? More plausible, but unlikely given the nature of her powers.

And so, having come to no answer, Miranda resolved to go ahead and talk it over with Cassidy. But as she started to stand a familiar voice, an impossible voice, spoke from behind her. "Hello Miranda. I expected you'd show up here sooner or later."

Miranda spun in place to see who was there, her eyes confirming the impossible truth she had already registered with her ears. "Prince Phobos!" she exclaimed…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Three

Miranda stared in shock at her unexpected visitor, registering peripherally that the Prince was not alone. Cedric, Frost, and the Tracker flanked Phobos on either side. She listened intently, but heard no signs of pursuit. Recognizing her focus on this, Phobos said "Never fear Miranda. You'll not hear the tramping of guard's boots or the baying of hounds. Vathic and his fellow guards don't even realize we're free."

"How is that possible?" Miranda asked.

"The full explanation is quite long, and I won't waste our time with the details of how I managed it. Suffice to say, our four cells are now occupied by glamoured Lurdens." Phobos answered. "Of course, this will only deceive them for so long, therefore we had best move along quickly."

"I see." Miranda said. "But how did you know I would be here? You said you knew I would turn up here."

"Did you really think I wasn't aware of your little 'time alone' spot my dear?" Cedric hissed out.

Miranda was tensed, expecting the attack to begin at any moment. Instead, to her total surprise, Phobos turned his back to her and said "We have much to do, if we are to recover the throne from my sister. Come along Miranda."

As the dark Prince walked away, evil entourage in tow, understanding suddenly stuck Miranda. "They don't know!" she thought. "They've been in prison, no visitors, no information… They didn't come to punish me, they came to bring me back into Phobos' army." Hard on the heels of this realization came the thought "Better play along. Find out what Phobos is planning, before I get out of here." She ran to catch up with the others.

"So, tell me my Prince," Miranda said, "What is the master plan you've formulated?"

"Patience Miranda. I'll reveal the details to all of you in the morning. I intent to sleep on this first, though."

Confused, Miranda asked "Sleep on it?"

"Yes. During the Rite of Amalgamation, when I nearly succeeded in absorbing my dear sister's powers, my mind was briefly linked with hers as well, and I picked up a number of earth ideas and concepts from her. Most were ridiculous, but one caught my notice as quite sensible: Before acting on any plan, spend a night's sleep letting your mind work on it. You'll find weak points you'd never notice otherwise that way."

"And you find this to work?" Frost asked.

"Yes. And work quite well. At any rate, I'll inform you of the details of our attack plan tomorrow, once I'm certain it has no remaining flaws to be worked out. For now, let us find a place to weather the night uninterrupted…"

WWWWWWWWW

Dusk. Elyon, Raythor and a contingent of soldiers slipped into the Hoognon grazing fields, arms loaded down with red dye and brushes. "According to the merchant," Raythor said, "This dye is so strong it'll completely overwhelm the natural color in the feathers. So there won't be any slight difference between the dyed green and blue birds to tell them apart."

"Excellent." Elyon said. "Let's get started." As they set to their task, which was a large one given the sheer number of birds, Elyon wondered to herself where Miranda was. She had really expected the girl back before now. She decided to contact her.

Miles away, Phobos and his allies had located an abandoned building still in good repair, and the Prince had declared it as good a place as any to spend the night. "It's a far cry from the palace of course," he had said, "But still superior to that terrible prison cell."

Frost was ordered to take the first watch of the night, while the others settled in. Miranda found a corner away from the others and laid down using her jacket as a pillow. She was wondering how to get word to Elyon when she suddenly heard the Queen's voice in her mind. "Of course!" Miranda thought, "I was thinking I couldn't contact her mentally without Taranee on this world. But Elyon's the heart, of course she can do it on her own!"

"Is everything okay?" Elyon was asking, "If you're done with whatever you had to do, we could use you here at the Hoognon fields. Believe it or not, we're dyeing their feathers and it's a big job!"

"Dyeing… Oh, I can't wait to hear this story. But it'll need to wait. Elyon, we've got a problem. Phobos is free from prison. Cedric, Frost, and Tracker too. They're here now."

Shocked, Elyon exclaimed "WHAT! Are you okay? And why hasn't anyone told me?"

"I'm fine." Miranda answered. "They think I'm still one of them, so I'm playing along for now to find out what Phobos is planning. And no one has told you because they don't know. Some kind of body-double swap in the cells, I don't know the details."

"Great. Okay, stay there for now, but be careful. I'll gather up the Guardians and the army. We'll be there soon." Elyon replied.

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. After the end of their first training session, Matt and Martin had returned to their homes to clean up, and then met Will and Irma for a double date. Seated next to Martin, Irma asked "So how'd it go today?"

"Rough." Martin answered. "I'll be feeling that the rest of the week."

"Rough." Matt agreed, "But promising. Really, I think Martin here's been holding out on us. He learned quick, and he's got good reflexes. Less than an hour in, he was dodging pretty much everything I threw at him. And I wasn't even going easy on him."

Irma looked at Martin "Really? Well, I knew you had something in you."

"I'm just glad to hear that what you were doing wasn't taking it easy, 'cause I'd hate to see what full-out was if that _had_ been easy."

Matt chuckled. "Well, when you're ready we'll move on to recovering smoothly and quickly when you do take a hit. Really, as important as it is to not be hit in the first place, being able to stay in the game when you are hit is even more crucial."

Will agreed. "Absolutely. No matter how fast and agile you are, eventually someone's gonna get in a lucky shot. And when they do, you're finished unless you can keep moving."

Noticing the waiter approaching with their orders, Irma said "Enough shop talk. What kinda plans does everyone have for summer?"

WWWWWWWWW

Before Miranda could reply to Elyon's assurance of help, both girls heard another voice speaking to them in their minds. "Please delay Queen Elyon." The voice said, "We have much to discuss regarding the best way to respond to this newest threat."

"Oracle?" Elyon questioned, recognizing the voice.

"Yes." Himerish answered. "Forgive this intrusion, but I have much of importance to relay to you with regards to the current situation. First, Miranda, I must apologize to you. The troubling dream which you experienced this past night is partially the fault of the counsel."

"What?" Miranda asked. " But why would you do that to me?"

"What dream?" Elyon asked.

Miranda explained "It's the reason I wanted to come here today, to think it over. Last night, I had this really bad dream that ended with me acting the way I used to, like I might go back to being the person I used to be."

"That was unintentional." Himerish said. "Please, allow me to explain. Three days ago I experienced a partial vision in which I foresaw Phobos escape. However, I did not see when it would happen, or what his plans would be following the escape."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Elyon asked.

"That was my first instinct, yes." Himerish said. "But as I meditated on the vision, a realization came to me. As the Guardian of Hope Miranda is now in a position to become, along with the rest of the Guardians, one of the champions of Meridian. This cannot happen if the people of Meridian still see her as a danger and do not trust her. I saw that if Miranda were the one to return Phobos to his prison cell it would go a long way towards healing that divide and bringing trust."

"Is that why you sent the dream then? To show me how little confidence the people here have in me?" Miranda asked.

Himerish answered "No. The dream was simply intended to warn you of the impending escape. But something went wrong. Apparently, trying to bring Phobos to mind opened a door allowing your subconscious mind to bring to your attention things it had realized."

"Things… Things like the fact that I'm probably responsible for some people's lives."

"Yes. And in the guilt accompanying this understanding, your mind took control of the dream and steered it along a course of your fears." Himerish concluded.

"Okay…" Miranda said, "So what do we do now? We still need the other Guardians, I can't very well handle Phobos on my own, especially with the others with him."

"We must be cautious." Himerish said. "It really is vital that you be seen as the one who defeated Phobos. You may choose three of the other Guardians to assist you. But only three."

"There's no way you're keeping me out of this." Elyon said, "So that leaves you with two open slots."

"Yeah…" Miranda agreed, deep in thought. "I think we should leave Cass and Al out of this. No point in letting Phobos know there are more Guardians now until we have to. For the same reason, Elyon and I shouldn't change to Guardian mode 'til the end either…" Continuing to think, Miranda said "Taranee and Hay Lin." That gives us big firepower, invisibility scouting, and the biggest brain around."

"No Will?" Elyon asked.

"Leaving Will out is tactical." Miranda explained. "Phobos will see what looks like just two Guardians, without the Heart so he'll think they can't transform. It'll get him all overconfident, and with limited numbers that's an advantage we can't spare."

"That's good thinking." Elyon agreed. "Although I guess it means you want me to hang back out of sight as well."

"As long as possible. I'm honestly not sure if knowing that you don't have all of your power back yet would help us by boosting his overconfidence even more, or hurt us by making you an even bigger target than you'll already be for him." Miranda answered, "So it's best to not take the risk if we can help it."

"If you are certain of your decision," Himerish said, "I will summon the Fire and Air Guardians to Elyon's palace immediately."

"I'm sure." Miranda answered.

"Very well. They are being called as we speak. Now then, if I may suggest, Miranda should remain with Phobos until she is able to learn of his plan. Given this, there is something you will need to do Queen Elyon, to prevent her actions from getting her in trouble with your regents later."

The Queen understood what Himerish was referring to, and said to Miranda "For the duration of this crisis I'm officially suspending your prohibition on shapeshifting. If you need to change to keep up the charade, go ahead."

"Thanks, that'll be a big help." Miranda answered. "But what am I gonna do if he orders me to hurt someone?"

"Play it as it lies." Elyon answered. "I'm sure you can get creative to avoid it."

"I hope so." Miranda said, "Because otherwise I'll just have to let the fakery go and take my chances…"

WWWWWWWWW

Hay Lin was seated across from her parents, next to her grandmother at the table in their small private kitchen. "It's nice to get a regular family dinner with all of us here, instead of downstairs in the restaurant." She said.

"I agree." Joan Lin said. "Thank goodness I finally convinced your father to hire some more help. We should be able to do this a couple of times a week now."

"Well worth the cost of some part-timers in my book." Yan Lin agreed.

"Absolutely." Hay Lin said. "Finally, a regular family dinner." But as she reached for a serving bowl a fold opened directly behind her. It didn't passively wait either, but moved forward of it's own accord, pulling in the Air Guardian, her chair, and the bowl of food in her hands, then closed behind her.

"I never got used to the moving ones." Yan Lin said. "So, is someone gonna pass me those eggrolls or not?"

Arriving on the far side of the fold, Hay Lin pitched backwards in her chair and fell, barely keeping the food bowl upright and unspilled. She looked about and recognized the grand hall of Elyon's palace. The Queen was there waiting for her, having excused herself from Raythor and his men, and Taranee as well. "Couldn't this have waited until after dinner?" she asked.

"Count yourself lucky." Taranee said, "If the fold that grabbed me had been ten seconds sooner Nigel would've seen it…" She paused, smelled the air. Eyed the bowl in Hay Lin's hand. "…Is that Tsao Chicken?"

"Sure smells like it." Elyon said. "But there's no time for food. We've got a problem. A Phobos problem." She quickly spelled out the situation to the new arrivals…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Four

Frost took his guard duty seriously, ceaselessly roaming about the perimeters of the decaying structure in which Phobos had taken shelter. As he did so, his thoughts turned to the question of what to do about acquiring a new mount. His former pet had been taken away when he was thrown in prison, and he had no idea what had been done with him. "Most likely, returned to a wild Rhinox herd." Frost thought, "And if so, I'll never get him back after all this time."

"Worrying about your dear pet?" Came a familiar hissing voice from behind. Cedric, in his snake-form slithered up beside Frost. "Prince Phobos orders me to relieve you on watch."

"Just as well." Frost replied. "Doubt I could stay awake much longer."

"Understandable. However, before you take your rest give me a moment of your time…" Cedric shifted back into his human form. "I'd like to discuss something with you: Miranda."

"What about her?" Frost asked.

"Prince Phobos dismisses my concerns, but I cannot let it rest. Do you not find it odd that she escaped so many months ago, yet the Guardians and the army were unable to recapture her in spite of how easily we located her within hours of our escape?" Cedric asked.

"That does seem odd." Frost agreed. "Although… You yourself have the answer. Unlike the Guardians, we knew exactly where to look, since you were aware of the place she frequented."

Cedric looked deep in thought. "Perhaps…" he murmured.

"What are you suggesting Lord Cedric?" Frost asked, "That she is a traitor? That she has sided with Elyon and the Guardians?"

Cedric laughed. "No. No, that's unlikely. I am saying only that something does not add up, and until it does we should be leery of trusting her fully."

"It sounds to me like you're just upset with yourself for alienating her affections prior to her escape. She probably had another one of those crystals you know. I'll bet she would've taken you with her, if you hadn't spoken to her as you did."

Cedric glared angrily at Frost, who momentarily expected to be attacked. But then he turned away. "Perhaps… Go inside Frost. Get some rest. The Prince will reveal his master plan to us in the morning."

Inside, resting against the outer wall but unable to sleep, Miranda had listened intently to the exchange between Cedric and Frost. She breathed a sigh of relief when Cedric dismissed Frost's correct appraisal of her situation. "Deeper and deeper into the hole." She thought to herself, "Got to be extra careful of those two…"

WWWWWWWWW

Elyon's Palace. While Hay Lin ate the chicken she had unwittingly bought with her from earth, Elyon explained the current situation to her and Taranee. "So lemme get this straight." She said between bites, it's just four of us, with no army back-up, against Phobos, Frost, Cedric, _and_ the Tracker?"

"I'm afraid so." Elyon answered.

"Well, at least we've got the upper hand in terms of tactical intelligence." Taranee said. "That can go a long way in shifting the odds. So long as Phobos remains unaware that we've got someone on the inside, the odds will stay in our favor. But it still won't be easy."

"Especially since Phobos' first move will most likely be to gather up an army of Lurdens." Miranda thought to them.

"This is true." Elyon agreed. "I just wish he would've went ahead and told you what he's got in mind. 'Sleep on it!' I am NOT happy to know he's using something he learned out of my mind. It's annoying. And creepy. Creepy too. But mostly annoying."

Taranee put a hand on Elyon's shoulder. "I hear you there." She said. "What worries me is what else he might have gotten out of that."

"What are we doing for now?" Hay Lin asked. "I mean, if we can't make a move 'til we know what he's up to…"

"For now we all do our best to get some rest." Elyon said. "Come morning, Phobos should reveal his plans. Once we know what he's got in mind we'll be able to figure a way to counter it."

"You're right." Taranee agreed. "Hang tight Miranda, we'll clear this up and get you outta there in no time."

"Thanks. Believe me, I'm counting the seconds…"

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. Saturday morning. Will Vandom awoke to insistent knocking on her bedroom door. Groggily stirring out of bed, she opened the door to find her mother waiting on the other side. "Sorry to wake you this early on a weekend," Susan said, "But were you girls gone somewhere last night?"

"No." Will answered. "Nothing's come up at all this last week. Why?"

Susan held up her cellphone. "I've got Joan Lin on the phone. She called wondering if I'd seen you since last night. Says Hay Lin disappeared into a fold during dinner."

Coming fully awake in a hurry, Will took the phone and spoke with Joan, confirming what had happened. After getting the story, she said "Try not to worry Mrs. Lin. For one thing, it was probably just Kandrakar for some reason, and for another even if it wasn't Hay-hay can take care of herself as well as the rest of us. I promise I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out."

Disconnecting the call, Will handed the phone back to her mother and tried to connect to the other Guardians mentally. "That's odd…" she said after a moment. "Taranee's not receiving. Almost like she's not there…"

"So what now?" Susan asked.

"Now I try Cassidy. With any luck, her own version of telepathy will work for this." Will focused her mind and thought "Cass? Are you there? Can you hear me?"

"I'm here." Came the response. "But Miranda isn't. I know she went to Meridian with Elyon yesterday, but Elyon's parents haven't seen them either. They didn't come back."

"Hay Lin and Taranee are missing too." Will answered back. "Listen, stay there will you? Contact Corny, Irma and Alchemy to meet us at your place. We'll go check with Kandrakar for answers."

"Okay, see you here soon." Cassidy answered.

Will looked up at Susan. "I gotta go, I'll call you back when I know what's up." She said.

"Alright. Be careful Will."

"Always." Will grinned and teletransported away.

WWWWWWWWW

Miranda awoke at daybreak, surprised that she had managed to fall asleep at all. She rose and walked out the front door of the structure to find everyone else already awake. A fire was burning, and some kind of animal caught by Frost or the Tracker was roasting over it. "Excellent." Phobos said when he saw her, "Now that everyone is present I can tell you of my intentions."

Sitting on a log, Miranda thought "Are you hearing this?"

"Loud and clear." Taranee answered from the palace.

"You found no flaws in your plan after 'sleeping on it' then?" Miranda said to Phobos.

"None that were insurmountable, no." the Prince answered. "Now then, the key to reclaiming control of our world is to overcome the power my sister holds. This means finding an even greater power with which to oppose her."

"But Elyon holds the power of Meridian's Heart." Cedric countered. "Only the power of other Hearts could equal that."

"And we have no way to leave Meridian to acquire other Hearts." Frost added.

"Yes. A terrible conundrum." Phobos agreed. "Or, rather it would be if we needed to exceed the power of Meridian's Heart. However, since my sister does not currently hold all of the Heart's power…"

"Uh-oh." Thought Hay Lin.

"How does he know about that?" Taranee wondered.

"Let's find out." Miranda thought. She said to Phobos "Forgive me O Prince, but why do you believe Elyon's power is not currently full?"

"A world's Heart is it's ultimate power Miranda." Phobos answered. "If Elyon were at full strength, or even anywhere near it, we would NOT still be free of the prison. She would have known, just instantly _known_, the moment we escaped, and sent us all back to our cells with a casual thought. That she has not done so, indicates that she is weak."

"Why would she not have her full powers?" Frost asked.

"An excellent question." Phobos agreed. "I cannot say for certain. Perhaps the power is being used to keep Nerissia imprisoned. Honestly, the why doesn't matter. Only the fact."

"We should act as quickly as prudence will allow." Cedric said. "For since we do not know for certain the cause of Elyon's weakness, we also cannot predict how long it will last."

Phobos agreed. "Absolutely. And that is why we will begin a three-step program to regain control. First, Frost and Tracker will journey south, to the Lurden's homeland. There you will gather an army to serve me."

"We will obey my Prince." Frost said. "But how will just the two of us convince the Lurdens that we are in your service?"

"You won't at first. All you need to do is defeat them in battle and they'll follow you. Then when you return with them, they'll see one more powerful than you and alter allegiance." Phobos answered. "Anyway, while the two off you are doing that, Cedric and I will handle the central portion of my plan: We will journey to the ancient floating ruins of Ronka and acquire the power source that fuels them. With it, my own strength will be magnified enough to overcome Elyon's remaining power."

"An excellent plan Prince Phobos." Cedric hissed.

"But for one thing. What if the Guardians somehow learn of what you are doing? The prison guards could discover our doubles at any moment, after all." Frost said.

"Yes. And that is where the third step of the plan comes in: distraction and misdirection. Miranda. Since your own freedom is known, you will begin launching a series of hit and run strikes on isolated towns and villages. This should keep everyone too busy trying to catch you to notice anything else going on." Phobos grinned. "And I've gotten you a helper, too." The Prince reached behind his back and pulled out the last thing Miranda would have expected: Jeek.

"I will obey, Prince Phobos." Miranda said, but she was thinking "Now what? I don't need to worry about Phobos or Cedric watching over my shoulder, but if I do nothing Jeek will get word back to him quick."

"I'm not sure yet." Taranee answered her. "Jeek's not too bright. Try to fake it maybe?"

"Maybe…"

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. For the third time that morning, Gideon tried to call Miranda only to have the call roll directly to voice mail. "Oh well." He thought. "It's a nice day out. I guess I'll just go over to her place."

Gideon walked the short distance to Cassidy's apartment in minutes, and approached the front door. As he was preparing to knock, though, he heard voices speaking from inside. Curious, the boy stepped to the side and peered in through a crack in the venetian blinds. He was surprised to see Will, Cornelia, Irma, and Alchemy, along with Cassidy, Matt Olson, and Martin. Miranda was nowhere to be seen, but Gideon was sure he had heard someone speak her name. He focused on listening in.

"So you think Miranda and Elyon are still in Meridian?" Matt was asking.

Will answered, "Yeah. And something tells me that's where Hay Lin and Taranee have disappeared to as well."

"Hence our current meeting." Cassidy said. "We're gonna see if Kandrakar knows anything about this."

As Gideon watched, Will pulled a necklace with a shining crystal from around her neck. She held it up and said "Guardians, Unite!" There was a brilliant flash of multi-colored light, and when it passed the girls looked very different. Will grabbed the crystal back and swept it in an arc through the air, a swirling something appearing in it's wake. Matt, Martin, and the girls all walked through, and then the room returned to normal.

Stunned, Gideon sat down under the window, back to the wall. "_They're_ the Guardians?" he thought…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Five

Kandrakar. Matt, Martin, and five of the Guardians emerged from a fold into the main audience chamber of the Fortress of Infinity. Himerish and the rest of the Counsel were waiting for them. "Welcome Guardians!" the Oracle said.

Will stepped forward. "Oracle, we may have a situation. Last night Hay Lin and Taranee disappeared into folds that just appeared out of nowhere and took them. What's more, Elyon and Miranda went to Meridian for what should have just been an afternoon trip, and they still haven't come back. We're getting worried."

"I can settle your minds in one regard," Himerish said, "But only by upsetting you in another way."

"You lost me with that one." Irma said.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Alchemy added.

Himerish answered "The Air and Fire Guardians disappeared from your world by my power. I transported them to Meridian to assist Queen Elyon and the Guardian of Hope in resolving a difficult matter."

Hands on her hips in a determined pose, Cornelia asked "What difficult situation?"

With a sigh, Himerish replied "Prince Phobos and three of his most powerful servants have escaped the infinite city prison."

The girls all gasped at this news. "Get us to the palace now Will!" Cornelia insisted, and Will didn't plan to disappoint her. But as she raised the Heart and opened a fold to Meridian, the Oracle raised one hand and with a slight downward gesture closed the fold before they could enter it.

Alchemy looked back over her shoulder and said "Hey! What gives?"

"Calm yourselves, please, and allow me to explain." Himerish said. He then revealed all the details of his plan, and why only Taranee and Hay Lin had been allowed to assist.

"So, you're ordering us to not go to their aid?" Will asked, clearly upset.

Himerish smiled. "Though it is clearly within my authority as Oracle to do so, I would prefer to not turn our working relationship into a matter of orders. But yes, I am asking you to not interfere. The outcome of this conflict will be best served in accordance with the plans now in motion."

Cornelia still wasn't happy. "But, Phobos, Cedric, Frost, AND the Tracker? With just the four of them? What if things go badly?"

Halinoor answered "We are monitoring the situation moment by moment. If things appear to be spiraling beyond the ability of just the four to handle then we will, of course, immediately call for you."

"But the current plan needs a chance to work." Luba added.

"I don't like this at all." Will said, "None of us do. Still, you're not Oracle for nothing…"

"Thank you." Himerish said. He motioned with one hand, opening a fold back to earth. "Have faith in your friends. All will work out for the best."

WWWWWWWWW

In Meridian, Miranda sat near the fire, tolerating Jeek who was sitting by her side while she tried to eat. As she did so, she listened in on the conversation between Taranee, Hay Lin, and Elyon at the palace. "Okay," Taranee was saying, "What can you tell me about these 'floating ruins' Phobos was talking about?"

"It's not just a name." Miranda answered. "They actually float in the air, about half a mile up. There's some kind of anti-gravity magic keeping them there."

Elyon elaborated further, "Yeah. It's one of the first things I was taken to see after we beat Phobos the first time, and it's every bit as impressive as it sounds. I'm told that no one knows how old they are, or who built them. They've been there, in ruins, as far back as written records go."

"And Phobos thinks he can steal the power source to make himself stronger?" Taranee asked. "Hmmm… Wouldn't ripping out the power source cut off the magic and destroy the ruins?"

Miranda answered back "Not immediately. Researchers have found all sorts of battery cells and power storage units. They'd keep hovering for several days even without the core in place."

"M-hmmm…" Taranee thought. "And how long will it take Phobos and Cedric to get to the ruins, assuming they're having to walk?"

"From here? About six hours."

"Okay. I've got a plan." Taranee said. She quickly laid out what she had in mind.

"I like it." Elyon said after hearing the plan, "Except for the part about not interfering with Frost and Tracker. Just letting them go and gather an army seems risky."

"I know." Taranee answered. "But I think it's a necessary risk, and besides the Lurdens are a very minor threat compared to Phobos. And if the first part of the plan works we won't have any trouble with him either."

"Alright. C'mon, we gotta find what we need quick, so I can get in and out." Elyon replied.

Back at the campsite, only Miranda and Jeek remained, the others having left to complete their own parts of Phobos' plans. "So, where we go first?" Jeek asked. "Someplace with lots of good stuff to steal maybe?"

Miranda stood, turned, and started to walk away. Putting on her best 'evil' voice, she said "Put out the fire. And then catch up with me. I know a place that'll serve both of us well…" As Miranda walked away, Jeek hustled to complete his task in time to catch up with her…

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. After returning to Cassidy's apartment with the others, Martin excused himself because he needed to return home. As he walked down the sidewalks towards his house, Martin thought about all of the craziness that had come into his life since learning the truth about Irma and the other girls. "I wouldn't trade it for anything." He decided, thinking of Irma.

Immersed in his thoughts, Martin didn't even notice Gideon's approach until the other boy was right in front of him. "Oh hey!" Martin said, "How's it going?"

"Strangely." Gideon answered. "But I think you're just the guy I need to talk to."

"Oh? About what?"

"You already know what." Gideon stared right into Martin's eyes. "About Miranda… …and the Guardians."

Martin swallowed. "Oh boy."

WWWWWWWWW

Meridian, the Floating Ruins. With a surge of energy and a rush of displaced air Elyon appeared at the main entrance. She looked around and stretched out her senses as far as she could. "I'm alone here." She thought. "So Phobos either hasn't made it yet or has already been here and gone. Let's hope it's the former."

Knowing time was short, the Queen entered the ruins and followed the wide aisles to the inner sanctum, where she found the magical crystal that powered the ruin's levitation ability still in it's place. Approaching, Elyon stood before the crystal and reached out for it. As she did so, a flash of light suddenly came from above and passed over her. A disembodied voice spoke, "Identity confirmed. Member of royal family. Permission to remove power crystal granted."

"Whoa." Elyon thought. "I wonder what would've happened if someone else tried to take it?"

Having apparently read her thoughts, the voice answered "Permission to remove power crystal restricted to royal family. Removal attempts by any others will result in immediate security system activation."

"Okay, let's get this over with and get out of here." Elyon said. She removed the crystal and carefully placed it in a padded bag. From another bag, she removed a fake crystal identical to the real article and slid it into place.

"Power crystal removed. Estimated time to power failure eight days, fifteen hours." The voice announced.

"Don't worry, I'll have it back before then." Elyon started to leave, but an idea occurred to her. "May I ask you a question?" she called out.

"Queries are acceptable."

"Another member of my family is coming here. He plans to steal the power crystal for good. Could you go along with what I'm trying to accomplish here by acting as if the fake crystal I just installed is genuine?"

"Requested course of action can be followed only when requested by the current King or Queen."

Elyon chuckled. "That would be me."

Another flash of light passed over Elyon. "Mental scan complete. Claim verified. This system will do as you have requested Queen Elyon."

"Thank you." Elyon turned and teleported away.

WWWWWWWWW

Martin refused to answer any of Gideon's questions out in public. Reluctantly Gideon agreed and followed Martin back to his home, and upstairs into his bedroom. Once they were alone, Martin asked "Okay, what do you know?"

"I know that Will and some of the other girls are the Guardians." Gideon said, "And that Miranda is in some kind of trouble. I also know there's no country anywhere on Earth called 'Meridian.' What's going on?"

"Look, I'd like to help you. But I don't want to betray a trust…"

Before Martin could say anymore, Gideon interrupted. "I get that. But this is my girlfriend we're talking about man. How would you feel if Irma was in trouble and no one would tell you anything about how to help her?"

"Irma's gonna kill me." Martin sighed. "Meridian is another world. One of the worlds the Guardians protect. Miranda's back there right now with Elyon, Tara, and Hay Lin. There's a major bad guy that Miranda used to work for on the loose and she's stuck with him right now."

"So, what? She turned over a new leaf so this guy wants to punish her?"

"I don't think so. The way the Oracle talked he doesn't know she's changed, thinks she's still on his side."

"But she's still in danger…"

Martin put a hand on Gideon's shoulder. "Not as much as you think. She can take care of herself as well as the others."

Gideon sat back against the wall. "So my schoolmates are the Guardians and my girlfriend is an alien who used to work for a supervillain…"

Martin laughed. "Man, you don't know the half of it yet. For what it's worth, I know for a fact that she was planning to tell you everything. She just didn't know how."

"Still…" Gideon paused for a moment, then continued "If Miranda is in danger I want to help. At the very least I want to talk to her, let her know this doesn't make a difference to me. I mean, that is why she wasn't sure how to tell me right? She was afraid it would change how I feel?"

"Yeah, that's why alright."

"Well, then… Can you get me there? Do you have some way to do that?"

"I can't, but I know someone who could." Martin answered. "But Gideon, I don't think it's such a great idea…"

"Come on man!" Gideon pleaded.

Martin sighed deeply. "Irma's gonna kill me. And then Alchemy will revive me so Miranda can re-kill me. Let's go then…"

WWWWWWWWW

Shortly after Elyon departed, Phobos and Cedric arrived at the floating ruins. With their powers weakened from time spent in prison, they were unable to fly up to the ruins. Instead they had to climb up via a rope bridge system installed by researchers.

Once they reached the top of the rope, both men were winded and exhausted. They refused to give in and rest though. Instead they rushed into the ruins and soon located the crystal chamber. Phobos motioned towards the crystal. "Go ahead Lord Cedric." He said, "Retrieve it for me."

"You would trust me with it after my betrayal?"

"You only did what I would have did in your position. I'm giving you an opportunity to get back in my good graces. Take it."

Cedric hissed as he turned and slithered up to the crystal. As he reached for it, though, a light flashed and a voice said "Identity unknown. Access denied." A powerful bolt of magic energy slammed down from the ceiling, throwing Cedric across the room.

As this happened, Phobos laughed maniacally. "And that, Lord Cedric, is how you punish a traitor and confirm the crystal is still the genuine article all at once." As Cedric struggled to get back up, body still convulsing from the shock, Phobos grabbed the crystal from it's slot.

"Identity confirmed. Member of royal family. Permission to remove power crystal granted. Warning: Power crystal removed. Estimate eight days fourteen hours to power failure."

Clutching the crystal, Phobos said "Odd. I expected the power to flow out of the crystal. I can sense the power within but it seems too small and minor… No matter, I'm sure it's just an issue of learning how to activate it…"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Redemption's Flame, Chapter Six

While Elyon, Taranee, and Hay Lin were busy setting their plans in motion, word began to reach the palace of an attack on the town called Praxis. The kingdom regents, minus Elyon's parents who were still on Earth, gathered together with Raythor and Vathic to discuss the new information. "We should have seen this coming." One said.

"Agreed. The Queen was mistaken to trust her. You knew so yourself, didn't you Vathic? And now Miranda attacks a town unprovoked."

Vathic didn't answer immediately, but in time he said "Perhaps. We need Aldarn and Miriabelle here for this discussion. Something doesn't add up in the least."

"Vathic is right." Raythor said. For one thing, I've seen Miranda since her release. I've seen the change in her personality, and more importantly I've seen the Heart of Kandrakar empower her as a Guardian. The Heart wouldn't make a mistake like that."

"Oh no? And what about the mistake it made with Nerisia?"

With a sigh, Raythor answered "That's a good counter point. I grant it's full weight. But there's something else you need to hear…" Raythor motioned to a guard at the chamber door, who stepped out for a moment then returned with a young boy of about ten. "I spoke with all of the eyewitnesses personally before bringing this to your attention. This boy's story is of particular interest."

The Regents looked down at the boy. "Go ahead son," one of them said, "Tell us what happened to you."

"Well sir, I don't know how it all got started. I was at home alone. But, I heard a lot of screaming and shouting. People went running past our house. Then I smelled something really awful. That's when this really old Passling barged in the front door and started stealing our stuff. I tried to stop him, but he threatened to bite me so I ran out the door…" The boy stopped speaking.

"Go on, tell them the rest." Raythor encouraged him, "You're just getting to the important part they need to hear."

"Okay… So as soon as I'm outside I get hit by something that knocks me over. I look up and see this really scary spider holding me down. I thought it was gonna eat me. But then the Passling came out the door and ran off around the corner. And as soon as the Passling was gone, the spider turned into a girl. She asked if I was okay, then told me to run for it. I ran and she turned back into the spider just as the Passling came back. It asked her how I got away and she lied about me tricking her. That's the last I heard, I didn't stop running 'til I got to the palace."

"This is strange." Vathic said. "As is the Queen's refusal to come to this meeting."

Raythor replied "Yes… If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go seek an audience with her majesty. I'm getting to the bottom of this…"

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. The Heatherfield sewer system. Gideon followed as Martin led the way through the dark, cramped, unpleasant pipes and waterways. "Why are we down here?" he asked. "I mean, really, the sewers? This is where the stuff you flush ends up…"

"You want to go to Miranda, right? Well to do that we need someone who can open spatial folds. And since I'm not going to Will for this that just leaves us with one option."

"But what kind of person hangs out down here?"

Martin chuckled. "Yeah, about that… I guess I should tell you in advance, Meridian is home to more intelligent species than just humans. The guy we're going to see is named Blunk. He's not human, he's a Passling."

"Passling? And they like hanging out in sewers?"

"They like junk. Trash. Our throw-aways are their treasures. Anyway, he's built himself a house down here where he's close to the city dump. If I've not gotten us lost, it's right around the next corner…" Together, Martin and Gideon turned the final corner. In front of them a ramshackle pile of wood, cardboard, foam insulation, and sheet metal filled a side room, taking the vague form of a house.

"Here we are." Martin said. "Let's see if he's home."

Martin knocked lightly on the door, fearful that a hard knock would collapse the whole structure. The walls quivered slightly with each knock, but held up. From inside came a voice: "Oh! Blunk get company? Blunk never get company down here!" Moments later Blunk opened the door and stepped out. "Oh, Guardian boyfriend! Welcome, what bring you to Blunk's home?"

"I need a favor." Martin said. "I need you to get us both to Meridian."

"Hmmmm…" Blunk said, "What it worth to you?"

"I'll personally deliver all of my family's trash to your door next week." Martin said.

Grinning, Blunk produced the enchanted tooth from under his shirt. "Where in Meridian you want to go?" He asked.

"I guess we should start at the palace."

"You got it!" Blunk exclaimed. He opened a fold and jumped through. Gideon followed with a little push from Martin who went last.

WWWWWWWWW

Miranda sat by the fire outside the abandoned building, feeling terrible about what she had just had to do and waiting for Phobos to return. Jeek sat next to her, inventorying his ill-gotten goods. The pile was a good three times larger than Jeek himself. "Honestly," she thought to the other Guardians, "Where do Passlings carry so much stuff?"

"Don't ask me." Hay Lin answered. "Like one time, I thought Blunk had swiped some of my jewelry so I turned him upside down and shook him. A full-size refrigerator fell out of his pocket…"

Elyon laughed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I never did figure out where he got it from, but there was still cold food inside on the shelves."

"It was still cold?" Taranee asked. "That's surreal."

Looking up, Miranda saw Cedric and Phobos approaching. "Heads up guys, they're back." She thought. Out loud, she said "Greeting my Prince. I trust you were successful?"

"Indeed." Phobos answered. He produced the fake crystal from under his robes. "I need only figure out how to access it's power and Meridian will be mine once again." He held the crystal, stared into it. "I feel your magic, crystal." He said. "Give it to me…"

"Um, if the crystal is fake then what kind of power is Phobos sensing inside it?" Miranda thought to Elyon.

"It's all part of the plan." Elyon answered. "See, we made a fake shell that would look like the real thing, then left two hollow spaces inside it. The first one has a microphone bug, so we'll be able to hear him even when you're not there."

"Good thinking." Miranda thought, "But the magic he feels?"

"I knew my brother would be able to sense if the crystal had no magic in it at all. After all, I would've felt that too. So we put the Manafont gem Prince Garix used in our last fight with him into the second hollow. That's the power Phobos is sensing."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Hay Lin asked.

Taranee answered "Not really. Remember, the only thing Manafont does is make it possible to cast the spells on another gem back to back with no recharging time in between. It doesn't actually DO anything itself…"

"So," Elyon finished, "Even if Phobos cracks the crystal open and finds the gem, it's useless to him unless he has one of the Ivalician attack spell gems on him. And what are the odds of that?"

"Considering this is Phobos, I wouldn't put anything past him." Miranda replied. "Still, you're probably right. I just hope I don't have to put on another performance for Jeek."

"It'll be okay." Elyon said. "We're not letting this drag on much longer. In fact, it's almost time for Hay-Lin and Tara to initiate the second phase now…"

"Yeah," Taranee agreed. "We'd better get going, actually."

"Good." Miranda answered. "I'll send Jeek to Torus Filney for food. You can make your move there."

"Sounds good." Taranee replied. Before she and Hay Lin could leave, though, a knock came at the door…

WWWWWWWWW

Earth. Will, Irma, and Cassidy sat with Matt and Peter, watching an old Eddie Murphy movie, the Golden Child. They were all still down over being ordered to stay away from Meridian, but they were sticking to what they had been told.

On the television screen, Murphy's character stands before the enchanted knife, unable to remove it from the fire. The old man's words run through his mind: "Sometimes you have to know when to break the rules."

A smirk crosses Irma's face. So strong is the thought behind it that Will and Cassidy pick up on it instantly. "Oh no!" Will exclaims. "This isn't a movie Irma!"

"It'll never work." Cassidy agreed.

"C'mon chickens, what have we got to lose?" Irma said.

"Our jobs?" Will answers.

"Our powers?" Cassidy states.

Not privy to the mental communications, Matt and Peter exchanged a confused glance. 'What in the world are you three talking about?" Peter asked.

"Irma's gotten 'inspiration' from the film." Cassidy answered. "She wants to break the rules by going to Meridian anyway and use this scene to convince the Oracle that we thought he wanted us to go anyway."

"It's a bad idea Irma." Peter said. "Though I admit, it might work."

"Big help you are." Cassidy complained. "Some fiancée."

Peter held up his hands "What? You want me to lie? I'm just being honest. It _might _work, but probably not, so it's a bad idea either way."

"Well I say we get Corny and Al and take a vote." Irma insisted.

Will sighed. "Alright… But we're gonna end up regretting this."

WWWWWWWWW

With the Queen's permission, Raythor entered her private chambers. He was surprised to find that she was not alone. "Guardians." He said with a nod to Taranee and Hay Lin. "A pleasure to see you here, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"What can I do for you Raythor?" Elyon asked.

"Given the Guardian's presence, I'm now even more certain that your majesty already knows why I'm here and what I want to discuss." Raythor answered. "If I may ask, exactly what is going on with Miranda?"

Hay Lin tried to play innocent. "Miranda? Whatever do you mean?"

"With all due respect Guardian, come off it. You're a terrible liar. Look, I know better than to think Miranda is actually back to her old ways, though the regents aren't all convinced. And either way there's the issue of a probation violation. But I'm here to help, not to work against you. Of course I need understanding in order to do that."

Looking directly into Raythor's eyes, Elyon answered "I appreciate that. But I can't tell you what's actually going on, at least not yet. We have good reasons, good advice from Kandrakar, to keep this to ourselves for now. If you want to help… Gather some men to go after Miranda, but always be sure you're there too late. And also before you go please inform the Regents that Miranda's shape shifting is NOT a probation violation. She has my temporary exemption from that rule for the time being."

Raythor sighed. "As you command, then."

"Thank you." Elyon said. As Raythor turned to leave, she added "Raythor? The Passling traitor Jeek is also in Miranda's company. I need you to be too late to catch her. But if you can nab _him_, go for it."

Raythor said nothing, but grinned as he walked out.

Once Raythor was gone, Elyon started to suggest that Taranee and Hay Lin hurry with the next phase of the plan before Raythor's team got into the field. Before she could speak though, there came another knock at the door. "Now what?" she wondered, and called out "Come in."

A pair of palace guards entered the room. "Forgiving your majesty's pardon, but we've captured a trio of interlopers trying to gain access to the palace. They claim to be here to see you personally, and while we would ordinarily just take them to the dungeon, we recognized two of them as being individuals you know, which is why…"

Elyon interrupted the guard. "Bring them in."

Two more guards shouldered into the room, bringing with them Blunk, Martin, and…

"Uh-oh." Elyon said.

WWWWWWWWW

"Jeek!" Miranda yelled. The Passling ran to her side. "I'm hungry." She told him, "And after their long journey I suspect Prince Phobos and Lord Cedric are as well. Go to Torus Filney and gather us some dinner."

"Of course! Jeek go right now!" He blurted out.

As Jeek rushed away, Miranda yelled after him "Real food! Not the molded trash-can leavings Passlings call food!" She then sat by the fire and looked at Phobos and Cedric. They were puzzling over the fake crystal from the floating ruins.

"I don't understand it my Prince…" Cedric was saying. "Remember, I have studied on this crystal. The power should flow from it effortlessly."

"Yes well your studies leave much to be desired, don't they? You are the one that walked right into the defense system after all."

"I missed some details perhaps. But what I did learn is valid. I fear this is not the real crystal." Cedric said.

In a rage Phobos backhanded Cedric hard, sending him sprawling to the ground. "It_ is _real. I feel the power within it. It's just a matter of access. Most likely, the crystal has some security protocol of it's own, perhaps a password or intonation required to unlock it… Go away and let me think."

"As you wish." Cedric said. As he walked away he ordered Miranda "Come for me when the food arrives."

"As you wish Lord Cedric." She answered. To Elyon she thought "Can you believe these two? They're like an old married couple." As she sent the thought, though, Miranda sensed an upset in Elyon's mood. "What's wrong?"

Elyon answered "It's not anything _wrong _exactly… We've got a new little glitch in our plans though. Blunk and Martin just arrived at the palace."

"So?"

"So… They're not alone… …Your boyfriend is with them…"

"Gideon!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Seven

Meridian, Elyon's palace. Gideon and Martin sat at an ancient wooden table, directly across from the Queen. They were alone, Hay-Lin and Taranee having left to carry out the first phase of the plan to recapture Phobos and his servants. For nearly an hour, the boy had sat quietly and listened as Elyon explained to him everything he needed to know about what was going on and the background as well.

"So… You're actually the Queen here?" Gideon asked. In truth, he was in shock and had been asking that question over and over.

"The answer's not going to change, no matter how many times you ask." Martin joked.

Gideon closed his eyes for several minutes, collecting and composing himself. Finally he asked "What about Miranda? Are you sure she's safe?"

"She's fine right now, and she'll stay that way if I have anything to say about it." Elyon answered.

"You know, a part of me wants to be mad that she hid this from me." Gideon said. "But, I guess I can understand why she was concerned that it might be too much for me to handle."

"Is it?" Elyon asked, "Too much for you to handle, I mean."

"Nah. I'll be fine. Honestly, I'm just worried now about how she'll take me finding out before she was ready to tell me. You've known Miranda longer than me, do you think I should keep my mouth shut, wait for her to be ready?"

"It's far too late for that. She already knows you're here."

A look of confusion spread over Gideon's face. Before he could ask how, Martin noticed the expression and said "Telepathy. Between the Guardians. Miranda's listened in on this entire conversation."

Gideon turned to Elyon and said "Oh. Right. Well listen, can you tell her that I miss her and hope she makes it back soon?"

"You just told her yourself." Elyon smiled. Into the telepathic link she thought "Any answer back for him?"

"Just let him know that I miss him too… And that I'm gonna kick his butt for coming here." Miranda answered.

Gideon laughed after Elyon relayed the message. "Yep, that's Miranda alright." He said.

A moment later Tara and Hay-Lin returned. "How'd it go?" Elyon asked.

Grinning, Taranee replied "Perfectly. Miranda, you should be getting a terrified Jeek back any minute now…"

WWWWWWWWW

As Taranee had predicted, less than five minutes later Miranda heard a ruckus and looked to see Jeek come rushing into camp. He had been running as hard as possible, and was out of breath and even smellier than usual. Between gasping breaths he said "Prince Phobos! Terrible news! Terrible!"

"Aww… Was the trash dump you were raiding for dinner out of moldy cheese?" The Prince sneered. "A tragedy indeed, but we'll get by somehow, I'm sure."

"Worse than that! Worse! Guardians come, almost catch Jeek!"

"Well well. It seems they've gotten faster at responding to threats." Phobos said. "No matter. We knew they'd turn up sooner or later, at least I know their current reaction time now. Tell me Passling, how did you escape five flying opponents?"

"Two." Jeek answered. Phobos demanded clarification, and Jeek said "There were only two of them. Not all five. And not flying either, no wings."

"Hmmm…." Phobos pondered this information for a moment. He then used a bit of his weakened magic to conjure up an image of Will. "Tell me, was this Guardian one of the two you saw?"

"Jeek can't say for sure. Humans all look alike to Jeek. Maybe not. Jeek not remember red hair…"

"Excellent." Phobos said. He turned to Miranda. "Do you see what this means? Two Guardians are here, and the Keeper of the Heart isn't one of them. Which means they can't transform…"

"Are you proposing we go ahead and strike to eliminate these two?" Miranda asked.

"Cedric will find it suspicious. But he finds everything suspicious anymore, that prison cell has broken his mind. Yes Miranda, we are going to proceed. This is an opportunity I couldn't pass up even if I shared Cedric's new paranoia. Come, we'll bait a trap they can't refuse, and have our prize by nightfall."

WWWWWWWWW

"He's falling for it." Elyon said to Martin and Gideon. "And now we wait until Phobos selects his ambush location, then make our move. By the time Frost and Tracker make it back with the Lurden army, there won't be anyone to lead them."

"I'm still not sure I like this plan." Martin said. "I mean, you three are going to have to let yourselves look beaten in order for it to work. What if you can't recover?"

"It's a risk." Taranee agreed. "But given our limited resources there's not much choice. We've got to make Phobos think he has the upper hand, max out his overconfidence, and strike when he least expects it."

"Don't forget," Elyon added, "Miranda's power will double the effectiveness of the rest of our powers. That should more than make up for any difficulties brought on by whatever happens before we turn the tables."

"Makes sense." Martin agreed.

"Um, I have a question…" Gideon said. "Elyon's the queen, but Phobos is her brother…"

"Right." Martin confirmed.

"Her _older_ brother though…" Gideon continued. "I mean, how was El next in line for the throne when this guy is older than her?"

"Oh, I see your problem." Elyon said. "Yeah, royal succession has slightly different rules here than on earth."

"It has to do with the difference between Heir Apparent and Heir Presumptive." Taranee added.

"Hair… what?"

Chuckling, Taranee corrected "Not hair. Heir. In Meridian, potential female heirs automatically outrank male counterparts. Not that there can't be a king instead of a queen, but that can only happen if a dying king or queen leaves behind only male children. No matter how many princes there are, or how much older they are, if there's a single princess the throne goes to her."

"My brother had fifteen years before I was born to be the only child and think that the throne was his." Elyon said. "So when I was born, it destroyed all of his plans… He… killed… our real parents that very night, and would have killed me too if my adoptive parents hadn't taken me to earth."

"Wow. That's rough." Gideon said. "Strange though, you're okay and it sounds like your parents both were too. What happened to turn Phobos so dark?"

"I wish I knew." Elyon said. "But no one seems to have a clue, except maybe Phobos himself. And of course he's not talking."

WWWWWWWWW

Miranda followed Phobos and Cedric across the wilderness to the outer perimeter of a large town. A wide, deep river bisected the town center, with a single bridge connecting the two halves. The bridge was built as high as the local technology allowed so the large cargo barges could pass underneath it, on their way to and from the docks lining the river on both sides. "Port Xerxes." Phobos said. "The perfect trap for our two lone Guardians."

"What is the plan?" Cedric asked.

"It's very straightforward. The three of us march directly into town, casting aside any opposition, and take control. Then we set up a temporary throne at the center of the tallest bridge and wait. The Guardians will come, they won't be able to resist even if they know it's a trap, and we destroy them." Phobos answered.

Cedric replied "Forgive the question my Prince, but is this not risky? What if these two go for the others before attacking? Or what if the other three come before you are ready for them? This plan throws away our greatest advantage."

"Perhaps." Phobos agreed. "But as you yourself noted before, we are on a deadline that we don't know: my sister's full powers might return at any moment. And so the chance to remove two Guardians now cannot be ignored. And as for the two possibilities you mention: If these two go for the others first, we'll still be better off fighting five Guardians than five Guardians AND Elyon. And if they don't, and the other three come later, well, Frost and Tracker should be back with our army by then."

"Frost and Tracker will return to the hideout Prince Phobos. Not here." Cedric answered.

A light went on in Miranda's mind. An idea. "Let us send Jeek back to the hideout my Prince." She said. "He can guide your army here when it arrives."

"Excellent." Phobos confirmed. "Passling! Go, do as Miranda says!"

"And there's Raythor's chance to grab Jeek." Miranda thought to Elyon.

"Good. I'll send him that way." The Queen answered. Before anything more could be said, a new complication entered the picture…

WWWWWWWWW

After answering back to Miranda, Elyon heard a knocking on her window. She opened the heavy curtains to find Will and the rest of the Guardians hovering just outside. "What are you doing here!" she exclaimed. "You know you're supposed to stay out of this!"

"Blame Irma." Will answered as she flew into the roof.

"Blame Eddie Murphy." Irma corrected. "If this backfires, I'm suing that movie for false advertising."

"Yeah that'll work." Cornelia replied. "I mean really, you…" She caught sight of Gideon. "Um, question…?"

"Long story." Martin said.

Elyon said "We'll deal with the secondary issues later. Right now, what are we going to do about you guys being here?"

Snapping her fingers, Taranee said "We put them to use in dealing with a loose end. Our job is to help Miranda take care of Phobos and his cronies. But really, that primarily means just Phobos and Cedric."

"You lost me." Irma admitted.

Taranee explained "It's like this: in an absolute sense, Frost and the Tracker are dangerous. No question. But in a comparative sense, they're nothing compared to Phobos and Cedric. Those two are the real threat, Frost and Tracker are just nuisances in comparison. Now, knowing that, and having limited resources with just the four of us, we decided to ignore the lesser threat until after the bigger one was taken care of. But that left them free to go gather up an army of Lurdens unopposed."

"I got you now." Will said, nodding. "You want us to go mop up them while you four deal with Phobos."

"It's a good plan." Elyon said. "We still get to help Miranda with the primary goal, while you make sure there's no damage elsewhere."

"I still don't like this." Cornelia objected.

"Me either." Alchemy agreed. "Leaving the four of you against such a powerful opponent."

"We'll be fine." Hay Lin said. "Tara's got it all planned out."

"And besides, staying out of the main fight is probably the only chance you've got to not get in serious trouble with Kandrakar." Elyon said.

"At any rate, the time for talking about this is over." Taranee said. "We've got to go."

Will sighed, but agreed. "Alright. Let's do this." She held up the Heart and started to transform the remaining Guardians, but Elyon stopped her.

"No! We've got this all planned out." She said, "And a big part of the plan is showing up in human form."

"Okay then. Good luck." Will said. She led her team out the window and together they flew towards the south, where they would find their quarry.

"Alright." Taranee said once they were gone, "We've got just enough time to go over this once more before we leave…" The three girls huddled together and reviewed the plan, then snuck out of the castle and made for Port Xerxes as fast as they could…


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Eight

Port Xerxes, Meridian. Miranda stood near the temporary throne Phobos had made Cedric place atop the town's highest bridge. She was worried. The town had fallen easily, almost too easily, given the weakened state of the prince's powers. And now Phobos sat enthroned and waiting while townspeople delivered gold, jewels, and expensive fabrics and spices to his feet. "Why are all these people still here?" she thought to Elyon. "It's only the three of us after all. They could run for it and almost no one would get caught."

The Queen answered back "I'm not sure. Maybe it's a leftover of how long they were oppressed before… Phobos' rule was unquestionable for so long, maybe they just can't imagine not giving in."

Taranee added. "It could be something similar to what we call 'Stockholm Syndrome' on earth. They might be identifying with him on some level."

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Miranda asked. "I mean, if that's what's going on, they're gonna take his side in a fight."

Taranee swore softly. "I didn't think of that. She's right El, we might have a problem."

"Wait. You mean we're gonna hafta fight the whole town?" Hay Lin exclaimed.

"Absolutely not." Elyon answered. "If they oppose us, it's only because of something like brainwashing. We will not hurt them for that."

"Actually, we may not have to." Miranda thought. "Remember, we're on the center of a tall bridge here. When the fighting starts, Tara can block both ends of the bridge with walls of fire to keep everyone else out."

"Everyone but the people already on the bridge." Hay Lin said.

"We wait 'til dark then." Elyon said. "At least there shouldn't be as many people there by then… maybe no one at all. And I've got to detour to tell Raythor where to find Jeek anyway…"

"Alright." Miranda thought. "See you soon."

WWWWWWWWW

Following Will's lead, the remaining Guardians flew south past Torus Filney and over the ice sheets of the southern mountains. As they flew, Irma and Cornelia filled Alchemy in on what to expect. "The Lurden homeland is just over the mountains." Irma said. "Frost and Tracker are probably there already."

"What are these Lurden-things like?" Alchemy asked.

"Butt-ugly." Cornelia answered.

"Oh, that's useful." Irma answered with a touch of sarcasm. "I mean, she's right Al, they really are butt-ugly. But to really answer your question, they're not the ones we've got to worry about. An army of Lurdens is nothing to laugh at, but the Tracker, and even Frost for that matter, are more dangerous by themselves."

"Ignore the Lurdens as best you can." Will said. "Because they follow the strongest warrior, so if we beat Frost and Tracker they'll turn to our side since we're stronger."

Cassidy said "We should focus on Frost first. We'll need one or two to keep Tracker busy while the rest of you take Frost down. I volunteer for that since I can duplicate any power needed."

From a distance, still in route to Port Xerxes, Taranee thought to them all "Suggestion. Miranda says Frost doesn't have His nasty little Rhinox with him, but Tracker does have his dog. Knowing how much Frost seems to care for his own pet, you might want to throw in some psychological warfare. Taunt him about being alone, get him good and upset and more likely to mess up."

"Good thinking Tara." Will answered. A moment later she said "Heads up ladies. There's a good chance we'll see them just over this next rise." The Guardians landed just short of the next mountain peak and carefully ascended to peer down over the summit. "Oh, this is perfect…" Will whispered.

WWWWWWWWW

Raythor stood high on the bluffs overlooking a wide region to the south of the palace. Miranda was out there somewhere, doing something for the Queen. The traitor Jeek was with her, for whatever reason. "Just what is this all about?" he wondered to himself. He glanced over his shoulder, to where a squadron of soldiers awaited orders, the turned back and again scanned the plains with the field glasses Alborn had bought him from Earth. A sudden burst of displaced air alerted him to Elyon's arrival. "Your majesty." He said as he lowered the glasses and knelt down. "How may I be of service?"

Handing over a marked map of the area, Elyon answered "This is where you'll find Jeek. Nab him up and get him back into jail where he belongs."

"Right away." Raythor said. He continued "With respect my Queen… What in the world is going on here? I'm not fool enough to imagine this is only about the Passling."

"I'll explain everything when it's over Raythor." Elyon replied. "To you and the whole counsel as well. For one thing you need to be aware, and for another we've got some upgrading to do on the prison… erm, ignore that last part."

"I don't like this." Raythor said. "I don't like this at all."

"I know. And I appreciate the concern. Rest assured though, everything will be wrapped up by sunrise tomorrow. In the meantime you just worry about Jeek. We'll handle the rest." Before Raythor could answer, Elyon was gone.

WWWWWWWWW

Port Xerxes, dusk. As the crowds thinned out Phobos returned his attention to the crystal. "This is most odd." He said. "Still the power refuses to obey my will."

Seeking to divert him from possible suspicion, Miranda said "The ruins are ancient beyond reckoning Prince Phobos. Perhaps the power is diminishing with age."

Phobos considered that. "Perhaps…" he said at last. "In fact, it would be quite surprising if that didn't happen eventually. All things decay after all. But what are the odds of it occurring at the precise moment I escape from the Infinite City and seek out the power?"

"Slim to none, O Prince, IF the timing is coincidental…" Cedric growled out. Curious, Miranda asked Cedric what he meant. "Merely this," Cedric replied, "Prince Phobos, we should consider the possibility that the crystal's power is somehow junctioned to the power of Meridian's heart. If so, then Elyon's weakened state might itself explain why the crystal is also weakened."

A look of interest spread of Phobos' face. "Now that is an intriguing suggestion…" He said. "Of course you see that it suggests two possible courses of action going forward… Either I should leave the crystal be, as an indicator of when my sister's powers return, or I should go ahead and absorb the little power that's already here, possibly causing the remainder to flow into me instead of her when the Heart's full strength returns."

"Suggestions?" Miranda asked Taranee.

"Tell him to absorb the power." Taranee answered. "It won't be enough to make a difference, it'll boost his confidence more, and since he'll probably toss the thing aside when he's done it'll make sure he doesn't shatter it open and find the bug." She also suggested a reason to give for why it was the better idea.

To Phobos, Miranda said "Perhaps O Prince you should take the power now. Keeping it as a warning is pointless if you have the power anyway."

"Yes… You're right." Phobos agreed. "Except for one detail. It's a small risk delaying, but I'm going to wait just a little longer. Timing is everything after all…"

"What does he mean by that?" Miranda wondered, but no one had a guess.

WWWWWWWWW

As the Guardians peered down from above, the Tracker was engaged in a ferocious battle with a large and powerful Lurden. Nearby, Frost was also busy fighting one, and the Tracker's dog was trying to get back to it's master but couldn't, being engaged with an opponent of it's own who wouldn't let it pass.

"They've not even won the fight to prove their superior strength yet." Will whispered. "They must've only just gotten here."

"So how does this work again?" Alchemy asked. "Whichever one of them wins becomes the Lurden's ruler?"

"Exactly." Irma confirmed.

Will added "And then they'll lead the Lurden Army back to Phobos. Who will 'defeat the winner' in a mock battle and assume command of the Lurdens for himself. Or at least that's their plan. It's up to us to be the monkey wrench."

"Well, let's go." Cassidy said. "This'll be easier if we do it while they're still busy with each other."

The Guardians got ready to move when Irma suddenly signaled for them to stop. A wicked grin spread across her face as she conveyed the idea that had occurred to her. "We'll need to swap Hay-Lin in here and send someone else to help El and Miranda." Will said after Irma finished explaining, "But it's an awesome idea."

"I'll go there." Cornelia thought. "Hay Hay, switch out with me." Hay Lin teletransported to their location, Will powered her up and Cornelia down, and Cornelia left to join Elyon and Taranee…

WWWWWWWWW

Port Xerxes. The sun had set by the time Elyon, Taranee, and Cornelia arrived. In the distance they saw the bridge Phobos was on, brightly lit by torches along both sides. "How's it looking up there?" Taranee asked Miranda.

"We're good. The townsfolk have all cleared out. It's just the three of us up here now."

"Okay. Here's the plan." Elyon thought, "We'll take a boat out to the middle of the river, just under the bridge. Once there, Cornelia will raise us up to bridge level with a column of rock. Tara will block both bridge ends at the same time with fire, then we pretend to attack, but appear to be beaten back easily. Then, at that moment when Phobos' overconfidence is at it's peak, Miranda turns and transforms us. From there, we do whatever it takes to finish this quickly."

"Sounds good." Cornelia agreed. "Let's do this." They quickly found a small boat and headed for the bridge…

WWWWWWWWW

Raythor and another soldier manhandled the captured Jeek into the outer entryway of the Infinite City prison. The Passling had been found exactly where Elyon said he would be, which was only serving to make Raythor more suspicious than ever of what might be going on. For his part, Jeek was saying nothing but struggling mightily to break free.

"Who would've thought something so small could put up such a fight?" the soldier commented. 'It's all I can do to keep ahold of this guy."

"You and me both mate." Raythor agreed.

As they entered the main chamber, Jeek let out an astonished yelp. "Prince Phobos! Lord Cedric!" he screamed, "When did they recapture you? How?"

"Oh shut it you little twerp." The soldier responded. "They've been here for months."

"No! Jeek left them just hours ago! Jeek…" The Passling suddenly realized what he was saying and fell silent. Raythor had a different reaction.

"Oh really?" Raythor said. "Just hours ago you say?" He strode quickly across the room and spoke with one of the prison guards. For the sake of maximum versatility in the event of an escape, only half of the guards were typical soldiers. The remainder were skilled mages, and it was one of these that Raythor was speaking with.

After listening to Raythor's instructions, the mage-guard moved to the center of the room, faced the cells, and cast an illusion-dispelling magic spell. Immediately, the glamour was broken, revealing the Lurdens in the escaped prisoners' cells. A gasp passed through all of the guards and even some of the other prisoners as they realized exactly who was missing.

Raythor returned to Jeek. "Where is Phobos!" He demanded. "And Cedric as well? Tell me now Passling, or face the consequences."

Surprisingly, Jeek refused to answer in spite of his fear. It seemed that even at a great distance Phobos and Cedric terrified him more than Raythor could. "No matter." Raythor said when he saw it would do no good, "I've got another idea…" He turned and walked quickly away.

WWWWWWWWW

Safe in Elyon's private chambers, Martin and Gideon sat on either side of a chess board as they awaited news. "I wish we could have gone with them." Gideon said.

"Me too." Martin agreed. "But there's nothing to be done. They're the ones with the magic powers, not us." He studied the board, which was slightly different from the standard Earth version of the game. Moved a piece. "Red Knight One to Black Pawn Three."

"Are you sure that's a legal move?" Gideon complained. "I thought you said those red ones can't capture."

As Martin was preparing to answer, Raythor burst into the room. "Where is Phobos?" He demanded…

WWWWWWWWW

Port Xerxes. Even though Phobos was expecting an attack, he was genuinely caught off guard by the way in which it came. One moment he was sitting on his throne, bored. The next, twin columns of flame burst to life at each end of the bridge and he turned to see two of the Guardians and his sister standing on a column of stone to the side of the bridge. "Well well." He said, "It begins. And my little sister too. Oh, With the Heart here I should just give up now!" He broke into laughter. "If you're here to frighten me sister, drop it. I know your powers are weakened."

"Right back atcha." Elyon answered. "You're not at full strength either, brother."

Phobos stood. Cedric transformed and stood to one side, and Miranda stood to the other. "Then it'll be a fair fight." Phobos sneered. "I hate fair fights. Time to do something about that." Reaching into a pocket within his robes, Phobos extracted the fake crystal and held it aloft. "Little or much, give me your power crystal!" He exclaimed. A dark glow of energy flared around the Prince's body as he forcibly extracted the meager stores of power it contained.

Facing him, Elyon and the Guardians feigned concern. "Stop him!" Elyon exclaimed, and they leapt into action. Taranee shot fireballs at Phobos, but Cedric jumped in the way and batted them back at her with his tail. She dodged the first two, but purposefully took the third hit and fell backwards.

Cornelia knelt to strike the ground, but was picked up by Miranda who turned into a giant bird and flew her high into the sky. "How high can you fall from and not be hurt?" Miranda thought to her.

"This is safe." Cornelia answered. "Let me go." Miranda did so, and Cornelia fell, landing next to Taranee just as Cedric grabbed Elyon and coiled his powerful tail tightly around her.

Cedric seemed intent on simply squeezing the Queen to death, but Phobos stopped him. "Don't do it!" The Prince shouted. "If she dies now the Heart power might simply go to someone chosen at random." Cedric hissed and roared, but let Elyon go, flinging her into a pile with the other two girls.

By this time, Taranee and Cornelia were trying to get back to their feet, but Phobos was finished with the crystal. As Miranda, back in human form, landed next to him he casted it aside and released a burst of dark magic that knocked the girls back off of their feet.

Phobos stepped forward, stopping about twelve feet from where the three girls were laying. Cedric and Miranda still flanked him. "This really was foolish of you." The Prince said, "Coming here without the Keeper. Still, your foolishness has made my inevitable conquest all the easier, and I really should thank both of you for that. I'll tell you what, once Meridian is firmly back in my control, I'll have a statue built to honor your stupidity." He chuckled to himself.

"At any rate," Phobos continued, "It's time to finish this." He turned to Cedric. "Tell me, Lord Cedric, have you any last words to say to our foolish little Guardians?"

"None, my Prince." Cedric answered.

"And what about you Miranda? Any last words for our conquered enemies?"

"How. Totally. Perfect." Miranda thought. She couldn't have asked for a better opening. "Get ready ladies, here we go." She thought to the other girls. She then stepped forward, placing herself between Phobos and the girls as if moving to attack. She said aloud "Any last words for my conquered enemies? In point of fact Prince Phobos, I have exactly two words…" She waited half a second, then spun on her heels to face the Prince. She allowed the power she held as a Guardian of Meridian to flow out of her and to the other girls, and stared Phobos in the eyes with a defiant look as she said the two words: "Guardians, Unite!"

Bright blue energy flashed and flared about as the four girls were lifted into the air and encased in the light of transformation. The last thing Miranda saw or heard before the power wrapped around her was the look of stupefied shock on both men's faces, and Cedric's confused and angry shout of "What in hell!"

The blinding light faded. Phobos lowered the hand with which he had been shielding his eyes and looked up. Saw the Guardians, Miranda and Elyon included. Then he did something unexpected: He broke into open laughter. "You have got to be kidding me…" More laughter. "Oh this is rich… My soldiers, Sandpit and Gargoyle, Raythor, Cedric, now you Miranda… Is there ANYONE actually loyal to me?"

"Probably not, in point of fact." Miranda answered.

"It's the price of choosing evil brother." Elyon said. "And it's more tragic than I expect you'll ever know… I'll tell you what, once you're securely back in jail, I'll have a statue built to mock your arrogance."

Cedric spat out a curse. "Let's see about that." He pointed to one end of the bridge, where townspeople bought out into the night by the sounds of battle were putting out the fire Taranee had started. "Come to the aid of your Prince!" Cedric shouted to them. "Come to serve, and destroy the Guardians! But leave the traitor for me…"


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Author's Note: Final Fantasy fan? Then check out my first two FF 7 stories, "Gate of Destiny," and "Stranger Highways," Available now!

"Redemption's Flame" Chapter Nine

In the far southern homeland of the Lurdens, the Guardians prepared to put Irma's plan into action. Cassidy copied Hay Lin's powers, turned invisible, and flew over to where the Tracker's dog was busily fending off a pair of Lurdens. Once there, she slipped in behind the dog, copied Will's powers, and unleashed a blast of electricity that knocked both Lurdens off of their feet and knocked them out.

Confused, the dog looked all around for the source of the lightning, but of course it saw nothing. Smelled nothing either, since the Wind power cancelled out odors. But things were just getting started for the poor confused creature. Joining Cassidy, Hay Lin, also invisible, lifted it into the air with a gust of wind. But she didn't send the dog flying towards another Lurden. Instead, it found itself flying headlong towards Frost. Seconds before impact Cassidy again used Quintessence powers, bowling Frost over.

Hay Lin lowered the dog to the ground, then hefted it up again, in a perfect simulation of it leaping towards Frost again. Frost tried to dodge but the beast landed directly on top of him. "Tracker!" Frost shouted, "Call off this stupid thing!"

The Tracker attempted to oblige, but the dog was unable to obey. Hay Lin sent it flying at it's master next, and knocked Tracker to the ground with a combination of the physical impact and a hurricane-force wind gust. Then, while Hay Lin held the dog hovering directly over the Tracker, Cassidy used a combination of Air and Water to freeze him solid.

To the watching, awe-struck Lurdens, only one conclusion was forthcoming: The Dog was stronger than Frost, Tracker, or any Lurden. In other words, the dog was now their ruler. As they bowed down to it, Frost pulled himself to his feet and rushed towards the dog, but the creature growled and the Lurden army turned on Frost en-mass.

Watching from concealment, the Guardians struggled to stifle their laughter. "That was a perfect plan Irma." Will thought. "The Lurdens get a ruler who won't take advantage of them and all we have to do is wait 'til they leave and collect our prisoners."

Having beaten Frost to within an inch of his life, the Lurdens picked up the dog and placed it on a throne, then four of them lifted the throne on their shoulders. The entire group then lumbered off, further to the south, with their new ruler at the front of the procession…

WWWWWWW

Meanwhile at Port Xerxes, the remaining Guardians were in the midst of a pitched battle with Phobos and Cedric. On the one hand, they outnumbered their foes two-to-one. On the other hand, those foes were, after all, Phobos and Cedric. As the battle raged on, more and more townspeople emerged from their homes and lined the banks of the river watching. In hushed tones they discussed back and forth what they were seeing. "Surely that's not Miranda fighting against Phobos? I thought she was one of his generals. I heard she was engaged to Lord Cedric…" On and on the rumor mills turned. But it was unmistakable what was really happening before their very eyes.

On the bridge, Cedric jumped forward and swung the whole length of his tail in an arc, striking Cornelia and sending her flying over the edge. Taranee and Elyon retaliated with full-strength blasts of fire and light, causing Cedric to roar in pain and retreat back slightly. Meanwhile, Miranda dove over the side and returned moments later with Cornelia. The four Guardians stood side by side facing their adversaries.

"Give this up brother!" Elyon demanded. "You can't win this fight!"

Cornelia agreed. "Totally. Save yourself the pain and go back to jail peacefully."

"You think you've already won?" Phobos sneered. "Perhaps it's time I showed you the full extent of my new powers. Time I made good use of what I gained from the crystal." Reaching deep into himself, Phobos drew upon the power he had recently absorbed, stretched out his arm, hand up palm-side facing the Guardians, and unleashed the energy.

Nothing happened.

"What?" the Prince asked, incredulous. He stared at his hand and tried again, with the same lack of results. Meanwhile, the girls were doing their best to not break down laughing. Phobos ran across the bridge and snatched up the crystal. "I absorbed the power, what little there was anyway… Something should be happening!"

As he was still speaking, Cornelia shot a small rock at Phobos. It struck the fake crystal, which shattered revealing the now dead Manafont gem and the listening bug hidden within.

"Of course…" Phobos whispered. He looked up. "Miranda was with us, you knew every step I was taking in advance… My compliments sister. Even I am impressed. Not that it matters, I'll still find a way to destroy you. The throne is my destiny."

"Yeah, about that? Totally not happening." Elyon answered. She turned to Miranda. "I think it's time, wouldn't you say?"

"That Light-bomb attack you learned on Garix?" Miranda thought back.

"That's the one." Elyon confirmed. "Tara, Corny, can you herd them close enough together for one shot to hit them both?"

"With pleasure." Cornelia answered.

"Let's finish this off." Miranda agreed.

Moving quickly, Cornelia and Taranee pressed attacks from either side. Phobos found himself being picked up by a large chunk of the stone bridge tilting and causing him to slide towards Cedric. They collided seconds later, and Taranee surrounded them with a circle of fire.

"You think a little flame will stop me?" Cedric demanded.

"No, but I'm pretty sure this will." Elyon answered. She flew just over the bridge surface and felt her powers growing as Miranda boosted her to double-strength. Fully prepared, the Queen charged a sphere of light energy in each hand, but out of sync with each other. She launched them both at the same moment, flying in half-circle arcs, and they collided directly over Phobos' head. The lows of the interfering patterns cancelled each other out, but the highs reinforced, resulting in a massive detonation. The devastation was confined to a radius of less than twenty feet, but within that sphere the carnage was indescribable.

As the light-bomb exploded, both Guardians and civilians along the riverbank were blinded by the intensity of the blast. Therefore, it took several minutes before anyone could see well enough to know what had happened. Then a cheer went up from the townspeople, at the sight of Phobos and Cedric laying defeated at Elyon and Miranda's feet…

WWWWWWW

Unmoved by Martin's arguments that the Oracle had insisted the girls had to take care of Phobos and Cedric alone, Raythor had intimidated the Queen's location out of the two boys and assembled a strike force to march on Port Xerxes. "At least he let us come along." Martin thought as they followed along behind the soldiers.

When the army was less than a mile from the town, however, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the night as if it were day. Moments later, a rumble passed through the air. "What was that?" Gideon wondered.

Martin chuckled. "If I don't miss my guess, that was El. Smart money says we're gonna get there to find it's all over.

Twenty minutes later, he was proved correct. Raythor began making arrangements for Phobos and Cedric to be transported back to prison before they woke up, and Elyon reassured him that the other Guardians were on their way back with Frost and Tracker. "I have the greatest respect for Kandrakar your Majesty," he said, "But I still wish you would have filled me in."

"I know Raythor." Elyon nodded. "I know…"

Meanwhile, Gideon struggled through the celebrating crowds, looking for Miranda. He found her atop the ruined bridge, looking out over the edge down at the water below. "Hey." He said as he came up behind her.

"Hi." She answered. "So, uh, it looks like you know everything now…"

"Almost. Martin said there were a couple of things it was best you told me yourself. I'm glad you're okay though. You uh… you look good like this."

"So I don't look good normally?"

"Now that's not what I meant…" He was cut off as she stepped forward and kissed him.

"I'm kidding. I know what you meant." Miranda said with a grin. They stood silently facing each other for several moments before she said "So… About those 'couple of things it's best I tell you myself…' If you've got the time, I'd just as soon get it over with."

Gideon glanced at his watch. "No one at home'll miss me for a couple more hours. Not that it'd matter if they did, for something this important to you. Let's find a quiet spot somewhere." Miranda called the other Guardians over and released the power she had used to transform them, returning the four to normal.

"We've got some things to discuss." She said. "See you in a little while."

"Alright." Elyon said. "Come to the palace when you're ready, we're gonna celebrate."

"See you there."

WWWWWWW

Miranda and Gideon arrived at the palace about an hour later. Elyon and Alchemy pulled her aside and asked how it had gone. "He took it pretty well." Miranda answered. "It's not every day you find out you're dating outside your species after all. But, I think we're gonna be okay."

"That's great!" Alchemy said. "Now c'mon, we're missing out on all the fun." She led the way into the grand hall, where Martin and the remaining girls were all waiting for them. For awhile, there was simply talking, laughing, joking about this and that and nothing at all. But eventually Irma had a comment:

"I just wish Miranda had chosen me to be a part of going after Phobos. I mean, when she said 'Guardians unite' and you all transformed, the look on their faces must have been priceless."

"It was." Cornelia confirmed.

Miranda pulled out her cell phone and began pushing buttons. As she did so she said "I love this thing… It's a phone, it's a music player… it's a camera…"

Irma's head swiveled to face Miranda as the girl said 'camera.' "You didn't?"

"I did."

"You did?"

"I did."

"Really?"

"I knew you'd kill me if I didn't." Miranda revealed that, as she had spun in place and transformed the Guardians atop the bridge, she had her phone ready and snapped a picture of the Prince and Cedric as the realization hit them. Picture on screen, she handed the phone to Irma who broke down laughing the instant she saw it. Everyone else crowded in behind Irma to see for themselves and soon the whole room was in tears.

"E-mail me this will you?" Irma asked, "I'm gonna make it the desktop image on my laptop."

"Sure thing." Miranda agreed.

"So, I guess all's well that ends well…" Hay Lin said.

Will disagreed. "Not quite… There's still the matter of figuring out how to get the money they need to finish the new gym."

Miranda grinned. "Actually, I've got an idea…"

WWWWWWW

And so the night of the rebuilding fundraiser finally came. Bands performed, games were played, and donations were auctioned off, but it was the t-shirts that really bought in the money. Printed onto the front of each one was a blown-up copy of the picture Miranda took of Phobos and Cedric, their faces contorted with shock, accompanied by the slogan "Objects in shirt may be uglier than they appear." Of course, no one buying the shirts knew it was a real picture, but the sheer funniness of the image drove sales, more than a thousand copies at twenty dollars each.

Combined with proceeds from the other offerings, the needed funds were exceeded nearly an hour before the fundraiser ended. Nickelbocker came and thanked everyone for all of their hard work, and Irma began pushing Miranda to start a website for the image. "You're sitting on a goldmine girl." She said, "I can see it now: '.' T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads… then the video games of course. I'll be the business manager see, and…"

Leaving Irma to her delusions, Miranda found Gideon backstage. "You did it!" she said.

"We all did it." He answered. "And now we get two and a half months of freedom from school."

"Yeah." Joel said. "Got any plans?"

She smiled. 'Oh, I'm sure something will come up…"


End file.
